Tag / Guns N’ Roses

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Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 7

20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.

Volume 7 covers the fall of 1992 and the end of the first semester of my freshman year of college.  We are treated to the last gasps of hair metal and pop, with a little dance, alternative and hip-hop thrown in for good measure.

Side A

Guns N’ Roses – November Rain

The longest song ever to crack to top 10 on the Billboard charts, peaking at #3, the opus, which checks in at 3 seconds shy of 9 minutes, picked up 7 new plays in the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 5 plays 12 plays, most recently on 11/14/2018 

Def Leppard – Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad

The 86th biggest hit of 1992 picked up a mere 2 listens since 2015 and only 4 since 2012.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
4 plays 6 plays 8 plays, most recently on 12/5/2018 

Toad The Wet Sprocket – All I Want

Topping out at #15 on the Billboard charts, the first hit from Toad the Wet Sprocket only picked up 4 new listens over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
10 plays 17 plays 21 plays, most recently on 12/9/2018 

Tesla – Signs

The live track, which I once owned on CD before trading it in for LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out, gained a mere 4 new listens, with the last one coming only 2 weeks after I bought the band’s namesake car.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
4 plays 5 plays 9 plays, most recently on 7/13/2017 

Soup Dragons – Divine Thing

The alternative dance single that became a moderate hit in the US gained 9 additional listens.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
9 plays 14 plays 20 plays, most recently on 9/23/2018

Ugly Kid Joe – Neighbor

Ugly Kid Joe, who debuted much too late for their 80s hairband style, saw a five-fold increase in the amount of plays this first single from their first full length album.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
1 plays 2 plays 10 plays, most recently on 11/12/2018 

The Heights – How Do You Talk To An Angel

The theme song from the short-lived FOX show The Heights, nominated for the 1993 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics Emmy, picked up 6 new plays.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
4 plays 8 plays 14 plays, most recently on 7/14/2018 

Side B

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Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 6

20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.

Volume 6 takes us through the end of high school, through the summer, and into the beginning of my freshman year of college.  Sadly, this is not the original version of volume 6, which was lost after being borrowed by my sister for a party.  The steady stream of hair metal and pop starts to become overtaken by alternative and hip-hop.

Side A

Genesis – I Can’t Dance

The second single from the 14th studio album from Genesis, which received a 1993 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, nearly doubled its number of listens in the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
2 plays 7 plays 13 plays, most recently on 8/6/2018 

Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You

Hitting #9 on the Billboard charts, the first hit for the California band  put together a decent increase of 16 spins over the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 6 plays 22 plays, most recently on 9/17/2018 

Joe Public – Live and Learn

Ranked 16th on complex.com’s list of the best new jack swing songs of all time, the tune managed to double its plays since our last check.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 6 plays 12 plays, most recently on 9/5/2018 

Boyz II Men – Please Don’t Go

The final single from Cooleyhighharmony, which failed to crack the top 40, finally got a listen or 8 over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
0 plays 0 plays 8 plays, most recently on 8/3/2018 

Def Leppard – Make Love Like A Man

The second single from Adrenalize, and the first video with new guitarist Vivian Campbell, nearly managed to double its plays over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 6 plays 11 plays, most recently on 8/30/2018 

Guns N’ Roses – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

After going over 3 years without hearing the Bob Dylan cover, it picked up 5 new listens in the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
7 plays 7 plays 12 plays, most recently on 9/1/2018 

Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Under The Bridge

The first appearance of “alternative” music on these collections, which became the 8th biggest single of 1992, nearly doubled its play total.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 6 plays 11 plays, most recently on 12/14/2018 

Side B

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Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 5

20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.

Volume 5 takes us from the end of my junior year of high school, through the summer, and all the way to spring of my senior year, from mid 1991 through early 1992, and once again features a healthy dose of hair metal and pop.  It also covers the acquisition of my first CD player, a Christmas gift in 1991.

Side A

Firehouse – Don’t Treat Me Bad

Peaking at #19 on the Billboard charts, the first hit from Firehouse picked up 7 new listens over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 5 plays 12 plays, most recently on 12/2/2018 

Color Me Badd – I Wanna Sex You Up

Featured on the soundtrack for New Jack City, the first single from the R&B boy band nearly tripled its spins over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
2 plays 5 plays 14 plays, most recently on 9/3/2018 

Boyz II Men – Motownphilly

The debut release from the Philadelphia crooners, which hit #3 on the Billboard charts, had a healthy 15 play increase since last we checked.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
1 plays 4 plays 19 plays, most recently on 11/8/2018 

Mötley Crüe – Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

The fourth single off of Dr. Feelgood, originally recorded off 103.5 The Blaze, gets a nice 8 listen increase to keep it in the running for one of the most listened to songs.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
18 plays 22 plays 30 plays, most recently on 9/1/2018 

Slaughter – Fly To The Angels

The second single from the band’s debut album, which peaked at #19 on the Billboard charts, more than doubled its plays in the last 3 years..

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
4 plays 6 plays 13 plays, most recently on 8/21/2018 

Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

A cover of song originally written for the film Cooley High, the song saw a 20 spin increase over the past 3 years, covering both the radio and album versions of the tune.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
17 plays 28 plays 48 plays, most recently on 12/18/2018 

Salt-N-Pepa – Let’s Talk About Sex

Nominated for the 1992 Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy, the tune nearly doubled its output over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 9 plays 17 plays, most recently on 10/20/2018 

Side B

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Top 200 Albums – #151 – 158

itunes_imageNearly 4 years ago, we first counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2018.

We continue things with the next batch of 10 albums that rank between #151 and 158, including 7 studio recordings, 2 soundtracks, and 1 live performance.

#158: Icona Pop – This Is… Icona Pop
iTunes stats: 50 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

A single entry, used as part of my White Sox playlist, allows this album to make its debut.

#158: R.E.M. – Automatic For The People
iTunes stats: 50 plays
Previous Ranking: 141

5 songs, led by the first single Drive, make up this total for the Athens, Georgia based group.

#158: Various Artists – OST – Veronica Mars
iTunes stats: 50 plays
Previous Ranking: 100

2 different tracks, from The Dandy Warhols and Tegan & Sara, make up the total for the soundtrack from the cult television show, which suffered a huge drop.

#151: Bon Jovi – VH1 Storytellers
iTunes stats: 51 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

A strong debut for this live offering from the boys from New Jersey, thanks to 8 different tracks.

#151: The Strokes – Is This It?
iTunes stats: 51 plays
Previous Ranking: 127

One of the 4 songs making up this total, New York City Cops, was dropped from the American version of the album, released weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

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Top 200 Albums – #179 – 190

itunes_imageNearly 4 years ago, we first counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2018.

We continue things with the next batch of 10 albums that rank between #179 and 190, including 6 studio recordings, 3 compilations, and 1 live recording.

#190: Various Artists – Billboard Top Hits 1988
iTunes stats: 42 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

5 tracks from this compilation of the biggest hits of 1988 allow it to make its debut on the list.

#188: Tori Amos – Under The Pink
iTunes stats: 43 plays
Previous Ranking: 172

Tori makes her debut on the chart with her second solo album, thanks to its 2 hits.

#188: Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It
iTunes stats: 43 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

A single tune, used as the walkup music by former White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton, puts Montell Jordan on the list.

#182: Various Artists – Dazed And Confused
iTunes stats: 44 plays
Previous Ranking: 181

The soundtrack to the movie about high school in the 70s gets on the charts on the backs of 4 entries.

#182: Soundgarden – Superunknown
iTunes stats: 44 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

4 tracks from the hit album from the Seattle group allow it to make its debut, thanks in part to White Sox catcher Kevan Smith.

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #31-40

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library.  Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact.  So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

Today we look at the next batch of artists, numbers 31-40, which includes a nice mix of musical genres.

#40: Tori Amos
iTunes stats: 128 plays
Previous ranking: #40

56 new listens for the same 11 songs over the past 3 years enable the singer/songwriter, who I was supposed to see live back in 1998 but missed due to a friend’s wedding, retain her position at #40.

#39: Harry Caray
iTunes stats: 129 plays
Previous ranking: #44

The legendary broadcaster moves up 5 spots in the rankings due to his 2 versions of Take Me Out To The Ballgame, one for the White Sox and one for the Cubs.

#38: Purdue All-American Marching Band
iTunes stats: 135 plays
Previous ranking: #34

The marching band for my alma mater drops 4 spots in the rankings due to only 49 new listens.

#37: No Doubt
iTunes stats: 136 plays
Previous ranking: #42

Thanks to 3 new songs and 65 new listens, the ska band I saw back in college before they hit it big jumps 5 spots in the rankings.

#35: Queen
iTunes stats: 148 plays
Previous ranking: #22

A big 13 spot drop for the band from England due mostly to their dropping off the White Sox victory playlist now more than 10 years removed from their 2005 World Series title.

#35: Metallica
iTunes stats: 148 plays
Previous ranking: #38

The one-time masters of metal manage to go up 3 spots in the rankings thanks to 69 new listens, despite Paul Konerko dropping them as his at bat music shortly before retiring.

#33: The Monkees
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Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart

scott-weilandThe polite thing to say would be that the world was shocked when news broke Friday morning that Scott Weiland, former lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, had died.  But the shock was not so much that Weiland had died, but that he had somehow managed to survive this long.  Weiland was 48 when he was found dead on a tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota last week, with cocaine found near the body.

Weiland became a superstar in the early 90s as Stone Temple Pilots rode the wave of grunge with their hit albums Core and Purple.  His subsequent drug abuse led to rocky relations with his band mates and numerous arrests, causing numerous break-ups.  During one of those, he joined with former members of Guns N’ Roses to form the supergroup Velvet Revolver, before leaving the group to rejoin with STP.

Weiland leaves behind two children, who seemingly had no relationship with the singer, and a musical legacy marred by the demons that ultimately took his life.

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Mix Tape Monday Revisited Roundup

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.

Last week, we finished up the last of the 20 volumes.  The 287 songs from 144 different bands or performers have been played an average of just over 8.5 times each, according to my iTunes stats, up from just over 5 times 3 years ago. Let’s take one final look back at the bands and songs that made up my youth.

Most Played Song

30 – Veruca Salt – Seether

28 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

25 – Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

22 – Motley Crue – Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

22 – Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise

22 – Cher with Beavis and Butthead – I’ve Got You Babe

22 – Great White – Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Most Played Song – Largest Total Increase

16 – Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

13 – Pearl Jam – Go

12 – 10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night

11 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

11 – Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise

Most Played Song – Largest Percentage Increase

800% – REM – Bang and Blame

700% – Roxette – The Look

500% – Collective Soul – Gel

500% – Green Day – Geek Stink Breath

400% – 6 songs

Most Represented Band

11 – Poison

10 – Aerosmith

10 – Pearl Jam

7 – Def Leppard

7 – Guns N’ Roses

Most Played Tape

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Mix Tape Monday Revisited– Volume 12

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.

Volume 12 covers the summer of 1993 and into the fall and my sophomore year of college.  Alternative has mostly taken over, although there’s still a small smattering of pop and hair metal, or whatever we were calling Def Leppard and Guns ‘N Roses back then.

Side A

10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night

The hit from MTV Unplugged, which was Natalie Merchant’s swan song with the group, more than doubled its total over the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 9 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 1/16/2015

Cracker – Low

Somehow, I’ve only listend to the first hit from Cracker’s sophomore effort once in the last 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 13 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 7/16/2012

Def Leppard – Miss You In A Heartbeat

The minor hit for the boys from Sheffield garnished only 1 additional listen, nearly 2 years ago now.

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 8/11/2013

Cher w/ Beavis & Butthead – I Got You Babe

Cher’s threesome with the animated duo, from the hit film Beavis & Butthead Do America, earned a healthy increase over the past 3 years.

2014 iTunes stats: 17 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 5/16/2015

Guns N’ Roses – Estranged

The GnR opus doubled its listens over the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 6/21/2014

Lemonheads – Into Your Arms

More than a tripling of listens for the big hit from Evan Dando and the boys.

2012 iTunes stats: 4 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 6/5/2015

Side B

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Mix Tape Monday Revisited – Volume 9

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.

Volume 9 places us squarely in the early months of 1993, overlapping with the second semester of my freshman year of college.  The hip hop and pop are rounded out with some alternative and what passes for hair metal in the post-grunge era.

Side A

Dan Baird – I Love You Period

Despite not knowing if this song ever got radio play in the state of Illinois, I’ve somehow more than quadrupled its listens over the past 3 years..

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 3/9/2015

Ugly Kid Joe – Cats In The Cradle

Only 2 additional listens for this cover of the Harry Chapin hit.

2012 iTunes stats: 4 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 5/21/2013

Arrested Development – Mr. Wendal

The story of a wise homeless man managed to more than double its number of plays over the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 5 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 10/14/2014

Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray

A slight increase for the hip hop anthem.

2012 iTunes stats: 8 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 4/15/2015

Positive K – I Got A Man

The one hit for Positive K garnered a slight increase in the last 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 6 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 8/14/2014

REM – Man On The Moon

A slight increase for this tribute to Andy Kaufman.

2012iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 4/1/2015

Aerosmith – Livin’ On The Edge

The first hit from the first CD I bought at a midnight release, at the Musicland that would eventually become Kazoo’s, managed a slight increase over the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 8/4/2014

Side B

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